Thursday, December 24, 2015

Mandy Aftel of
Aftelier Perfumeshas
made a habit of delighting us just when we need it most, in the
dreary days of winter. This season we are presented with a new
perfume, a different version of another, and a long-awaited addition
to her line of organic artisan teas.

All new for 2015 is Vanilla
Smoke, which through some sleight of hand actually smells more
like real smoke than many fragrances with synthetic ingredients; the
effect comes from a special extract of Lapsang Souchong tea that has
been smoked over pine wood. I have to admit that smoky perfumes and I
do not always get along, and when I first put this on, I smelled just
like Henri Bendel's Firewood candle – one of the best there is, but
not something I would want to wear on my skin. Fortunately this
effect subsided as it warmed up and the vanilla note began to expand.
It is a decidedly non-foody Madagascar vanilla absolute, deep and
dark and woody, the perfect mate for the smoke. The composition is
wrapped in a veil of real ambergris, which acts as the binder to make
the whole thing seamless and velvet-smooth and gives it extraordinary
longevity. This new introduction is available in both eau de parfum
and extrait; the latter is almost supernaturally rich and dense and a
bit less smoky to my nose than the eau de parfum; it's a showcase for
the vanilla and ambergris. Wear it for the most special of occasions;
it stays close to the skin, but those who do get close will be
mesmerized.

I tested the fabulous
Bergamoss
when it was launched in solid form, and now it is available as a
liquid perfume for a limited time. I may even like it better in this
formulation, if that is possible; it is opened up, sharp and
distinctive, punched up with a shot of bitter-green the way I like my
chypres, yet still imbued with the beauty of the florals and the marvelous essence of the aromatic flouve grass. The bergamot is very forward in this version, while the
solid is softer and mossier, with some sweetness added from the
creamy base itself. The eau de parfum is striking, exhilarating, and
vibrant, the perfume equivalent of a beautiful woman in a daring
green dress who turns heads the moment she enters a room. We are so
very lucky to have American perfumers making real chypres at a time
when European firms are hobbled by EU/IFRA restrictions - I say bring
it on, and since this is a limited edition, get it while you can, it
is superb.

And the tea – oh my, the
tea! It has been two years since the launch of the original
three perfumed teasfrom
Aftelier, which are wonderful, and the new Orange &
Cardamom black tea, using flavorings from Aftelier's wonderful
Chef's
Essences, was worth the wait. Cardamom is my favorite of all
the sweet spices, but dosing is key; too little and it can be
overpowered by other aromas, too much and its highly pitched woody
character can do its own overwhelming. This is judged just right,
blending the sharp brightness of cardamom with a sweet and inviting
blood orange, which also happens to be one of my favorites so far
from the Chef's Essences line. The tea itself is top shelf rolled
black tea pearls of exceptional quality, of course. This is a treat
for cold mornings curled up on the couch and relaxing, savoring every
sip, and a worthy addition to the lineup.

Image
credits: “Golden Smoke” wallpaper from 99wallpapers.net, art by T
Glow. One of my favorite photos of actress Elizabeth Taylor, in a
publicity shot from 1951's “A Place In The Sun.”

Disclosure:
The samples of all the products in this review were sent to me by
Aftelier Perfumes.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

When I heard that Providence
Perfume Company was introducing a new line of organic
perfumed teas, I knew I was in for a treat, since I already love
Charna Ethier's creative natural fragrances, and when I
received them for testing I was not disappointed. All six varieties
of these “A● Poth●
A● Care” loose teas
are outstanding, and very different in character; there is something
for everyone in this lovely selection.

Perhaps the gentlest of the group is
Green Pearl, a classic green tea that is presented in the
traditional rolled “gunpowder” style. It is so easy to drink and
as smooth as one could wish for. When a tea is as unadorned as this
it has better be of top shelf quality, and this is some of the best
green tea I have ever come across, with a hay-like aroma and none of
the astringency one might expect of this style of tea. Drink this
when you are in a meditative mood, or when you need a calming
influence.

I sampled Yuzu Breakfast when
the weather was still very warm, and it's just perfect for a summer
morning. The formula is a little twist on the tried and true orange
spice formula – the tea is the bold black pekoe found in the major
supermarket brands and such teas as Constant Comment®,
but the citrus component here is orange peel and the amazingly
aromatic Japanese yuzu fruit peel, which lies somewhere between
grapefruit and bergamot and is very zesty and exhilarating. No other
flavoring is needed, and you will really look forward to waking up
with this in your cup.

Orange Blossom Oolong is so
delicious I was wishing that it also came in perfume form while I was
drinking it – maybe I can persuade Ms. Ethier to make some? I have
always been a fan of the subtle yet complex flavor of oolong tea, and
the other ingredients in the blend enhance it without masking its
essential delicacy. It has a sublime orange flower and jasmine aroma
and a soft, creamy personality. I am sure this one will be a favorite
with true tea connoisseurs.

I have been an Earl Grey tea purist for
almost as long as I have been a tea drinker, which is a very long
time. I was a little bit skeptical of messing with the basic formula,
but Earl Grey & Lavender won me over very easily. The
lavender in the mix is very refined and sweetly floral, not at all
soapy, and it's a perfect partner for the lively freshness of the
bergamot. This is also a green tea version of Earl Grey instead of
the usual black tea, which may be a concern to other purists, but it
really works here.

For
those who like a richly flavored tea with a fruity character, look no
further than Brambleberry Rose. I
really love this one, which combines fine black tea with locally
grown organic rose petals, raspberries, strawberries, cocoa nibs and
Madagascar vanilla. The result is a deliciously jammy rose tea, rich
and incredibly fragrant. (It seems like most companies that make a
rose tea just can't resist adding hibiscus, which makes the tea too
puckery, but that's thankfully absent from this formula.) This is the
perfect thing for high tea accompanied by delectable desserts and
strawberries with cream, and another one that should be a perfume
too!

Last
but certainly not least is Violetta,
which is just ridiculously good. Green tea leaves that have been
dried with night blooming jasmine to impart a floral quality are
blended with Tahitian vanilla bean, violet extract and blue
cornflowers. It reminds me very much of those violet-scented pastille
candies, but without the chalkiness those can sometimes have. The
sweet violet scent is true and so very pretty, like a breath of early
spring on the breeze, and the flavor is truly unique. This is a
strong contender for my favorite along with Brambleberry Rose, but
thankfully I don't have to choose. You just can't go wrong with any
of these.

Friday, December 04, 2015

Perfumer Amber Jobin of Aether
Arts Perfume makes a pilgrimage each year that most of us can
only wonder about; she attends the annual Burning Man festival in the
vast Black Rock Desert of Nevada. This celebration of art, music,
creativity, personal expression of every kind and any number of
things that are almost certainly banned in Boston is an ongoing
inspiration for her, and the “Burner” series of perfume oils
is a tribute to its influence on her aesthetic. I am very pleased to
review the two newest scents in the series, which showcase Ms.
Jobin's impressive and growing talent.

Sensuality is one of the main
associations many people have with Burning Man – the “let it all
hang out” dress code and encouraging of uninhibited behavior
results in a a potent stew amounting to what may be the largest
gathering of free spirits on the planet. Black Rock City is
the embodiment of this atmosphere, an earthy, sexy perfume that
cannot be mistaken for anything ordinary or tame. Named for the
temporary community of thousands that springs up every year and then
vanishes at the festival's conclusion, it was created in 2010 and
only released to the public in 2015; Black Rock City is Number 1 in
the Burner series. It is 95 percent natural and combines timeless
desert essences like sage, mesquite and cedar in a deep, resinous
composition that somehow evokes the scent of warm bodies to my nose,
even though it is also quite dry and woody. It has a subtle vanillic
sweetness from mesquite blossoms – an essence I have never smelled
in a perfume before now – and is grounded in a base of cedar and
mesquite wood. This deceptively simple formula is very long-lasting
and complex, and must be experienced on skin for the full effect, as
it just keeps getting better as the hours pass.

On the opposite end of the fragrance
spectrum, Reflection (Burner No. 6) captures the sensation of
the desert after a rare rainstorm, ominous with thunder and lightning
yet brimming with life as thirsty desert plants spring up virtually
overnight and flowers open their blooms to the sky after a long
drought. The sensation of rain-washed earth evoked by this fragrance
is astonishingly true to life, and it succeeds where so many have
failed in capturing the exhilarating post-rain aroma known as
petrichor. I have never been a big fan of ozone scents (exception: Ms. Jobin's own Argent, see link in first paragraph), mainly
because they almost never seem to get it right, but this one does,
blending the sharp, penetrating character of ozone with the tender
scent of flowers and the soft wetness of still rain pools. Sage,
mesquite and cedar make appearances here too, along with cactus
flower, yucca flower and sage blossom accords. Even though it shares
ingredients with Black Rock City, the two fragrances are worlds apart
in style; Reflection is a testament to the artistic possibilities of
mixed media perfumery, being 45 percent natural and 55 percent
synthetic. (Both fragrances are made in oil form equal to 45 percent
extrait, so their longevity is impressive.)

The two can also be layered together
for a truly unique experience; in fact, that works wonderfully well
on my skin. The extremes of wet ozone and dry wood cancel each other
out just enough to allow the lighter herbal and floral notes to
shine, like the breath of green plants rising from the warming earth
as the rain evaporates under the desert sun. I give an enthusiastic
thumbs up to them both, either by themselves or in combination.

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